Portland Road Investment To Be Officially Declared Open

Tuesday, 2 August 2022 06:00

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

Worthing Conservative councillors are welcoming the official opening of the Portland Road public realm improvement works by the Mayor of Worthing this week.

The scheme which is part of a £5M growth deal partnership between Worthing Borough Council and West Sussex County Council is the first of a number of stages of planned improvements to the town centre public realm over the next few years.

The work, carried out with the support of local traders and the Town Centre Initiative, has seen the street scene in Portland Road completely transformed, with the introduction of new paving, seating and the semi- pedestrianisation of the road between 10am and 10pm.

A green wall of trees has been introduced along the previously blank wall of Boots.

Cllr Kevin Jenkins, leader of the Worthing Conservative group said:

"This scheme was started in the planning stages four years ago after a public consultation that identified the type of improvements people would like to see in the town and that Portland Road was a well trodden route into town centre.

"The quality of work and materials were carefully planned to ensure that the finished product would provide a lasting benefit and act as an exemplar for the future works planned for Montague Place and the rest of the town centre."

As part of the deal with WSCC, Worthing councillors pledged to use circa £3M of developer contributions to the Community Infrastructure Levy, secured from town centre development sites, to help fund the next stage in Montague Place.

Cllr Steve Waight, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Support Services and Economic Development, said:

“These are exciting times for Worthing town centre and it’s great to see the conclusion of this important public realm scheme: it looks superb and represents a significant investment in the town’s future, both for local businesses to benefit as they recover from the pandemic and for the public to enjoy a renewed and welcoming quarter in Worthing.

“The Portland Road scheme has been delivered as part of the Worthing Growth Deal partnership between the county council and borough council.

“The deal is a joint partnership programme of regeneration to bolster local economic growth and includes rejuvenating public spaces in Worthing. This includes the recently-completed Montague Place temporary scheme - with the permanent, new look to be developed with residents and traders - and the Railway Approach scheme, where preparations are underway.”